Rotary bathtub grab-bar chair

ABSTRACT

A rotary bathtub grab-bar chair includes a base body, a rotary base, and a seat. A fixed board is provided on the base body and is threadedly provided with a threaded rod. A moving block is threadedly connected to the threaded rod and is connected with a clip board. The clip board and the fixed board are movable toward each other by rotating the threaded rod. The base body further has annularly arranged and equally spaced bolt holes. The rotary base is coupled to, and rotatable but limited in movement with respect to, the base body and includes a bolt tube to correspond to any of the bolt holes. A bolt can move in the bolt tube and be movably engaged in any of the bolt holes. The seat is coupled to the rotary base and has openings. One can enter a bathtub easily while seated on the seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to an assistive device which features relative rotation between a seat and a base body so that a user can move easily into a bathtub by sitting on or grabbing the seat.

2. Description of Related Art

The elderly or those with a mobility disability may have problem getting into and out of a bathtub when taking a bath or shower; without a helping hand, they are likely to fall and be injured as a result. Even when assisted, they may still find it difficult to enter a tub.

In light of the above, the applicant of the present invention developed a “TUB GRAB BAR STRUCTURE” and was granted therefor Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. 454497 on Sep. 11, 2001 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,230 on Dec. 25, 2001. This patented invention discloses a clamping base including a fixed board vertically formed on a lateral side of the horizontal base body of the clamping base. A threaded rod is transversely and threadedly provided on the fixed board, includes a knob at the outer end, and is connected with a connecting rod at the inner end, wherein the connecting rod is vertically attached to a clip board. A rotary horizontal baseboard is pivotally provided on the horizontal base body while a grab bar is vertically coupled to the baseboard. A tenon pipe is provided on the baseboard and is radially spaced from the central pivot axis. A plurality of annularly arranged and equally spaced insert holes are provided in the horizontal base body of the clamping base and correspond to the tenon pipe. An elastic bolt is provided in the tenon pipe and can selectively engage with any of the insert holes. Thus, the direction of the grab bar can be adjusted by rotating the baseboard with respect to the clamping base, and the grab bar is locked once the desired direction is obtained. The grab bar structure can therefore adapt to various tubs. An elderly user or a user with a mobility disability can hold the grab bar and turn in order to get into a tub.

While the invention described above can effectively help an elderly user or a user with a mobility disability to enter a tub, this is true only if the user's legs can support, even partially, his or her body weight. Those who are unable to stand due to weakness in legs still need help when using the grab bar, or the difficulty of entering a tub remains. In short, the foregoing invention is not satisfactory in terms of use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the existing assistive devices designed for bathing and/or showering, the present invention provides a rotary bathtub grab-bar chair which includes a base body, a rotary base, and a seat. The base body is provided with a fixed board, the fixed board is threadedly provided with a threaded rod, the threaded rod is threadedly connected with a moving block, and the moving block is connected with a clip board such that the clip board and the fixed board can be moved toward each other by rotating the threaded rod. The base body is further provided with a position-limiting member. The position-limiting member is fixed to a limiting base by a plurality of first threaded connection elements, and the limiting base is fixed on the base body and is provided with a plurality of bolt holes. The rotary base is coupled to the base body and is limited in movement with respect to the base body. The position-limiting member is mounted around the rotary base and is located at the periphery of the rotary base such that the rotary base, which is rotatable with respect to the base body, is limited in movement with respect to the limiting base. The rotary base is provided with a bolt tube which can correspond to any of the bolt holes. The bolt tube is provided therein with a bolt. The bolt can move in the bolt tube, be movably engaged in any of the bolt holes, and is mounted with a spring and a lever. The lever is pivotally connected to the bolt by a pin in order to move the bolt vertically and elastically in the bolt tube. The rotary base is further provided with a supporting portion. The seat is coupled to the rotary base and is provided with a supporting block. The supporting block is fixedly coupled to the supporting portion by a plurality of second threaded connection elements. The seat is further provided with at least one opening.

Preferably, the threaded rod is provided with a rotating handle.

Preferably, the seat is further provided with a backrest.

The foregoing technical features have the following advantages:

1. One whose legs cannot provide sufficient support can sit on the seat and then move easily into a bathtub. In other words, the present invention can help a user get into a bathtub on his or her own.

2. The present invention also functions as a bathtub grab bar. An elderly user or a user with a mobility disability can hold the outer edge of the opening in the seat, allowing the seat to support part of his or her body weight and thus make it easier to enter a bathtub.

3. The backrest additionally provided on the seat can be leaned on by the user. This enhances the safety of one who has problem keeping his or her upper body upright while taking a bath or shower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an assembled sectional view of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 schematically shows the embodiment in FIG. 1 fixed at an edge of a bathtub;

FIG. 5 is another assembled sectional view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, showing the bolt out of a bolt hole;

FIG. 6 schematically shows how the rotary base of the embodiment in FIG. 1 can be rotated with respect to the base body; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the seat is additionally provided with a backrest.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an embodiment of the present invention includes a base body 1, a rotary base 2, and a seat 3.

The base body 1 has a lateral side on which a fixed board 11 is vertically provided. The fixed board 11 is transversely and threadedly provided with a threaded rod 12. The threaded rod 12 is provided with a rotating handle 13. An L-shaped moving block 14 is threadedly connected to the threaded rod 12, is located on the inner side of the base body 1 with respect to the fixed board 11, and is connected with a clip board 15. By rotating the rotating handle 13, the clip board 15 and the fixed board 11 can be moved toward each other and eventually clamped onto, for example, an edge of a bathtub. The base body 1 is also provided with a position-limiting member 17, which is fixed to a limiting base 18 by a plurality of first threaded connection elements 16. The limiting base 18 is fixed on the base body 1 and is circumferentially provided with a plurality of bolt holes 181, which are annularly arranged with an equal spacing between each two adjacent ones of the bolt holes 181.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the position-limiting member 17 is mounted around and located at the periphery of the rotary base 2 such that the rotary base 2 is coupled to the limiting base 18 of the base body 1 and is limited in movement. More specifically, the rotary base 2 can rotate with respect to the base body 1 but cannot separate from the base body 1. In addition, the rotary base 2 is provided with a bolt tube 21, which can correspond to any of the bolt holes 181. The bolt tube 21 is provided therein with a bolt 22. The bolt 22 is mounted with a spring 23 and a lever 24. The lever 24 is pivotally connected to the bolt 22 by a pin 25 in order to move the bolt 22 up and down elastically in the bolt tube 21, allowing the bolt 22 to be movably engaged in any of the bolt holes 181 of the base body 1. Besides, a supporting portion 26 is provided on the top side of the rotary base 2.

The seat 3 has a bottom portion provided with a supporting block 31. The supporting block 31 is fixedly coupled to the supporting portion 26 by a plurality of second threaded connection elements 32 such that the seat 3 can rotate along with the rotary base 2 with respect to the base body 1. The seat 3 is provided with at least one opening 33, whose outer edge can be grabbed by the user.

To use, referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, the fixed board 11 and the clip board 15 are placed on the opposite sides of an edge of a bathtub A respectively. Then, the rotating handle 13 is rotated to move the clip board 15 and the fixed board 11 toward each other until the edge of the bathtub A is clamped therebetween. The bolt 22 in the bolt tube 21 can be elastically engaged, and consequently locked, in any one of the bolt holes 181 of the base body 1 due to the elastic force of the spring 23. Once the bolt 22 is locked, the rotary base 2 and the seat 3 cannot be rotated with respect to the base body 1.

Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, a user with feeble legs can get into the bathtub A by first sitting on the seat 3, allowing the weight of his or her upper body to be supported by the seat 3. Then, the lever 24 of the bolt 22 is pressed down to compress the spring 23 and move the bolt 22 out of the bolt hole 181 in which the bolt 22 is engaged. At this point, the user can rotate the seat 3 on his or her own, or with the assistance of another person, thereby rotating the rotary base 2 with respect to the base body 1, and by doing so, the user is rotated from outside the bathtub A to the interior of the bathtub A. Once rotated to the desired position, the user releases the lever 24 of the bolt 22 in order for the elastic restoring force of the spring 23 to drive the bolt 22 into the bolt hole 181 to which the bolt 22 currently corresponds and to lock the bolt 22 in place again. As soon as the bolt 22 is locked, the seat 3 and the rotary base 2 are kept from rotating with respect to the base body 1. Thus, the present invention makes it easier for the user to take a bath or shower.

The present invention may also serve as a bathtub grab bar. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, when a user whose legs can provide a certain degree of support wishes to take a bath of shower, he or she does not have to sit on the seat 3. Instead, the user can support himself or herself by holding the outer edge of the opening 33 of the seat 3 and then rotate the seat 3, and hence the rotary base 2, with respect to the base body 1 in order to enter the bathtub A with the assistance of the present invention used as a grab bar.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is different from the previous one in that the seat 4 is additionally provided with a backrest 41. The backrest 41 is intended to support a user's back so that one who is unable to hold their upper body in an erect position can lean backward against the backrest 41 to enhance the safety of bathing or showering.

The embodiments described above are only two preferred ones of the present invention and are not intended to be restrictive of the scope of the invention. All simple, equivalent changes and substitutions based on the appended claims and the disclosure of this specification should fall within the scope of the invention. 

1. A rotary bathtub grab-bar chair, comprising: a base body provided with a fixed board, wherein the fixed board is threadedly provided with a threaded rod, the threaded rod is threadedly connected with a moving block, and the moving block is connected with a clip board such that the clip board and the fixed board are movable toward each other by rotating the threaded rod, the base body being further provided with a position-limiting member, the position-limiting member being fixed to a limiting base by a plurality of first threaded connection elements, the limiting base being fixed on the base body and provided with a plurality of bolt holes; a rotary base coupled to the base body and limited in movement with respect to the base body, the position-limiting member being mounted around, and located at a periphery of, the rotary base, the rotary base being captured by the position-limiting member to maintain direct slidable contact against the limiting base, the rotary base being thereby rotatable with respect to the base body, the rotary base being provided with a bolt tube to correspond to selected ones of the bolt holes, wherein a bolt movably disposed in the bolt tube to engage selected ones of the bolt holes, and is mounted with a spring and a lever, the lever being pivotally connected to the bolt by a pin to move the bolt vertically and elastically in the bolt tube, the rotary base being further provided with a supporting portion; and a seat coupled to the rotary base, the seat being provided with a supporting block, the supporting block being fixedly coupled to the supporting portion by a plurality of second threaded connection elements, the seat being further provided with at least one opening.
 2. The rotary bathtub grab-bar chair of claim 1, wherein the threaded rod is provided with a rotating handle.
 3. The rotary bathtub grab-bar chair of claim 1, wherein the rotary base includes spring is disposed within the bolt tube is further provided with a backrest.
 4. The rotary bathtub grab-bar chair of claim 1, wherein the bolt tube receives a portion of the bolt therein and defines an enclosure structure about the received portion of the bolt, the spring being captured within the enclosure structure of the bolt tube to engage the received portion of the bolt. 